2_Denver Broncos2

New Orleans Saints Gameday HQ

Von Miller
SCOREBOARD
DOUG PENSINGER/GETTY IMAGES SPORT
2013 2012 2011 2010 2009
PLAYOFF FINISH SB DIV DIV - -
REGULAR SEASON W-L 13-3 13-3 8-8 4-12 8-8
POINTS PER GAME 37.9 30.1 19.3 21.5 20.4
POINTS ALLOWED PER GAME 24.9 18.1 24.4 29.4 20.2
YARDS PER GAME 457.3 397.9 316.6 348.9 341.4
YARDS ALLOWED PER GAME 356.0 290.8 357.8 390.8 315.0
TURNOVERS 26 25 30 27 23
TAKEAWAYS 26 24 18 18 30
Broncos Defense
The Broncos got off on the wrong foot in 2013, and even
though they reached the Super Bowl, these Broncos never did
fully recover from a slow start which had its defense playing
from a hole from the very get-go. Remember when an agent’s
fax-machine faux pas cost Denver their defensive end Elvis
Dumervill? Or when Von Miller’s fumbled urine test cost him
a six-game suspension? Justin Bannan’s exit? It is no wonder
Denver’s D dropped. After all, it all started when the 2013
Denver D started allowing 6.8 more points per game than
the 2012 Denver D (18.1 to 24.9 points per game), ultimately
grading out at Football Outsiders as ninth best in run defense
and 21st in pass defense. But that’s good enough when you
also had Manning and the NBA’s premium offensive army at
your service. To succeed in 2014, GM John Elway and Broncos
management made sure head coach John Fox and his defensive
coordinator Jack Del Rio had the extra ammunition going into
the season. Namely, the offseason loss of Dominique Rodgers-
Cromartie has already been offset with the additions of three
studly DBs in safety T.J. Ward, corners Aqib Talib and firstround
rookie Bradley Roby. Add defensive end extraordinaire
DeMarcus Ware to the pass rush and Denver’s D cannot help
but return to 2012 level, quickly turning that No. 21 pass-defense
ranking stain into a thing of the past. Who knows? These big
additions may make Denver’s D so good that Miller starts going
back to Pro Bowls again, perhaps bringing along deserving
veteran teammates like corner Chris Harris, linebacker Danny
Trevathan or defensive tackle Terrance Knighton.
Defensive Player to Watch
After coming through for Denver’s defense time and time
again in 2012 and 2011, two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Miller
finally got to see what happens when he isn’t there for his
teammates, suffering a six-game suspension in 2013 for failing
a drug test (spilling his sample) and then suffering an ACL
injury upon his return. The team defense results weren’t pretty,
with the Miller-less Broncos spilling points away in games left
and right. Thankfully, the team had Peyton Manning and his
receiving corps on mop-up duty, game after game, winning the
typical contest by a 38-25 margin. No joke, that margin was the
team average. Miller is now back from surgery. The team has
added DBs and a mirror pass-rush image for Miller in DeMarcus
Key Additions:
CB Aqib Talib, SS T.J. Ward, DE DeMarcus Ware, C Will Montgomery
Key Subtractions:
G Zane Beadles, WR Eric Decker, CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie,
RB Knowshon Moreno
Rookies:
CB Bradley Roby, WR Cody Latimer, LB Lamin Barrow, T Michael
Scofield
Ware, who will take the weak-side slot. All in all, most folks in
Denver are hoping Miller returns to the form that once sacked
35 QBs in 40 career games as a promising 6-3, 237-pound 25-yearold.
If he becomes that guy, Denver can become great again.
Broncos Special Teams
Matt Prater is one of the top field goal kickers in the game,
going 19-for-19 on his 49-and-unders, along with another 6-for-7
in the 50-plus yarders. He also was a league-leading 75-for-75 on
extra points. Otherwise, the Broncos special teams is somewhat
marginal. Punter Britton Colquitt is good, though his 2013 season
was somewhat subpar for him (28 of his 60 44.5-yard punts were
returned for a 9.8 average). Last season’s backup returners Omar
Bolden (kickoffs) and Wes Welker (punts) will now see frontline
duty, now that Trindon Holliday is a New York Giant.
Prediction
Tim Tebow once turned this 7-24 Denver franchise into a
7-4 second-round playoff team that made Denver suddenly
appealing to Manning and others who have since taken the
Broncos to two 13-3 seasons and one Super Bowl appearance.
That said, a 13-3 prediction seems perfectly in line, but remember
it all can come crashing down if a great quarterback isn’t there to
hold the pillars up.